I’d expect her to hear in December sometime. Usually, those who hear in November are high stat kids. What is her weighted GPA? Unfortunately, extra curriculars usually don’t help that much unless a student is borderline with their GPA if test scores weren’t submitted. Penn State is very much a numbers game. Penn State IN GENERAL looks at GPA more than Pitt, and Pitt tends to look at test scores more than Penn State. So it’s very possible to get into one and not the other. Their campuses and surrounding areas are vastly different, so that’s a consideration depending on what one wants.
Summer session at PSU is a great opportunity and I’ve never heard of anyone who doesn’t love it - but it is an extra cost to be considered if that is the admission decision.
Daughter hit submit on her UP application and now we wait. GPA 90.13UW/97.91W, 13 honors/AP/DE classes, strong ECs, Legacy (parent), OOS. Applied for Criminology with yes to summer option. 
Thanks for your advice. Her HS only reports UW GPA out of 4.0 scale (Hers was 3.6) and switches to weighted GPA out of 100% (hers was 93.7%). She submitted test optional at both Pitt and PSU so we are hoping her strong ECs; leadership programs; Varsity sport captain; community arts; maintained part time job thru the academic year and Associate’s degree earned will help mitigate the slightly lower GPA since we know PSU is all about the numbers. We’ve been told through sheer volume of applicants they just can’t take the same holistic approach to candidate review as other schools. She was accepted at Pitt for College of Arts and Sciences, and good to know December-ish timeframe should be when she should expect notification. I don’t think she’d be opposed to a summer start, but she liked both Pitt and PSU nearly equal for the different types of college experience they offer but leaned a bit more toward Pitt due to enjoying more of the urban/city offerings. We are in NEPA so PSU is 2.5hrs from home while Pitt is 4.5hrs so a bit of a difference with the distance, but not a deterrant in her decision process as well.
Penn State is far and away my number one option. My stats are 3.6 UW 3.74 W (7 AP, 8 Honors). 1250 SAT, submitted. I applied DUS and Summer Session on the Penn State portal. I am in state and have a brother that currently attends. Do I have a good shot?
I would say you have a good shot at UP summer session and since you applied early would have a shot at Fall 
My DD is about to submit her application and she is still conflicted on submitting her ACT score. She has a 4.14W GPA (no UWGPA but probably about a 3.75 UW) and a 28 ACT (31S/29M/26E/26R). Her HS counselor said not to submit since the score is right below the 50% and her English and Reading are lower than they should be (she is an avid reader but is a slow reader). She is OOS, applying DUS and willing to do summer session (honestly, willing to do anything really 
) and my husband and I are alums. Submit or not? My initial thought was Yes but I am now leaning towards No.
Does she have any AP score?
She got a 5 on AP Gov and a 3 on AP Physics 1 (not her favorite class at all so this score wasn’t a surprise) - she is taking AP Bio, Calc and Psych this year.
We have been told for past several years by college advisors and an advisor at PSU that the DUS major has become very competitive because it’s the only path to certain difficult majors, e.g. Smeal Business, Computer Science etc so applying that way, you are competing with very high stats students. Has anyone heard this?
Yes this is absolutely the truth. Students who would be on the border or have too low of stats to apply for Smeal or Engineering outright, will often apply via DUS because they can easily and seamlessly work towards a Smeal or Engineering degree from DUS. This skews the GPA for DUS higher.
There are other less competitive majors/colleges other than DUS - however make sure you look at the entry to major requirements for each major as some can ONLY be achieved by being either in pre major status or DUS. For example, you can’t apply for a liberal arts major and work towards Smeal from there. You can only get into Smeal via Smeal pre major or DUS.
How difficult is it to get into DUS from the College of Liberal Arts, once admitted?
My son is about to submit. He has a 4.25 weighted, 3.7 unweighted, 12 Honors, 5 G/Ts and 3 APs. Test Optional and yes to summer start. High performing public high school in Maryland and both parents are alums. Appears to be on the line so thinking very hard about choice of major.
Yes, we’ve seen that. FYI, an advisor we fortuitously chatted with on a tour day said that PSU is on to this alternative method through DUS and how it is skewing admissions and have plans to disallow this pathway in the next couple of years.
With a 4.25WGPA and summer start, he should not have an issue getting into DUS. If he’s not sure of a major, then that would be a logical choice.
That said, it is NOT usually difficult at all to change into DUS once you are an admitted student. You can usually do it at new student orientation before you schedule classes.
I’m not sure how they could change that pathway. There are PLENTY of students that go to DUS as a freshman because they don’t know what they want to major in. They would still need the option to go to Smeal or Engineering. They wouldn’t be able to nix the pathway from DUS to Smeal because of that. They could, however, make Smeal accessible from other majors - but even that would be difficult because entry to major classes are usually only accessible to DUS students or pre-major. Meaning, you can’t be majoring in Criminal Science and get into ETM classes for Smeal.
I know the pathway from DUS to more difficult majors is a bit unfair for students who are actually undecided, but I’m not sure how they would close that pathway without making the majors Direct Entry only.
She indicated it would only change for certain majors, not all.
Great to know. He would prefer Fall but accept Summer if admitted to UP for Summer start only. I’ve talked to him about the summer session and how it’s a great opportunity to meet people and get a head start. Penn State is his top choice, really the only place he wants to wind up. Trying to maximize his chances and keep PSU in the family. Older son wound up at a small school, which has been great for him. Younger daughter is still in high school but committed elsewhere for her sport. Middle son is our last and final hope!
I think the 5 will show she can do very well in a Humanities subject and the 3 that she can handle stem subjects even if she’s not especially interested in them. The ACT science score would balance that but you’re right, the 26s are a bit low – it’d also be in her interest to include in her personal statement several majors of interest such as Psychology, History, International Relations, Communication, HCDD… showing she is truly undecided and not trying for a shortcut to Engineering or Business, plus also that at this point she doesn’t plan to major in STEM (math scores matter more for future STEM majors. Note there whatever she does at the end of First semester is no longer Admissions’ concern.)
@MYOS1634, @jlhpsu
After reading these posts, wondering if my son should not have chosen DUS. He is leaning towards Kinesiology but not sure. He is not interested in STEM or business. Should he have chosen Kinesiology if DUS is getting more competitive? Only wants University Park and while he checked summer, I am not sure if he would go if that is the option. Stats are: 34 ACT, 4.11 WGPA, 5 on AP History and Bio. Junior year 2 AP and 2 Honors. Senior year 3 AP and 1 honors. Application already in but should he change to increase his chance? Not even sure if he can do that?
She did write a personal statement and in it included a few majors she is interested in (across 3 different colleges). Thanks!
Sounds good. Now all you can do is wait and wait till Dec 22. 